As climbing leader of leader of the
1981 American expedition to Everest, led by Richard
Blum, Lou Reichardt faced what must have seemed an
almost insurmountable task, to chart a path up the
unclimbed East face of Everest, the so called Kangshung
Face. And for that year at least the Khanshung Face
remained insurmountable. The expedition, though well
financed, was torn by strife, bad weather, threat of
avalanche, and illness and the attempt at the summit
abandoned.

Two years later Lou would return with another American
expedition this time led by James Morrissey. This expedition contained many of
the same team members as the unsuccessful 1981 group and would also attempt to
summit via the Eastern face. Though the summit was a success, putting several
Americans atop Everest it was darkened by the falling deaths of two Japanese
climbers and a sherpa from another nearby expedition.

Reichardt went on to be among the first Americans to summit
K2 (and the first to summit both Everest and K2). He is currently a UC San
Francisco professor of physiology specializing in neuroscience and is a past
president of the American Alpine Club.